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Wht did Jesus choose uneducated and untrained men for His ministry? It is not something which we would do today.

God bless

Roy

Where do you get the idea that these men were uneducated? They were not highly educated, it is true, except for Paul who was, in fact, very highly educated. But all of them could read and write and knew the OT and probably other writings. Paul knew a great deal about other literature, philosophy and so on. Jews placed a high degree of importance on education and each young man was educated to read their holy books and write for themselves, quite unusual in that day. So I am afraid it is not true that they were uneducated, not just as highly educated as others with the exception of Paul whose teachings far surpass the best theologian since then.

God thinks we ought to be educated so that we can think and not just believe everything anyone happens to try to teach us.

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"He has shown you, O man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you. But to do justly..and to love mercy...and to walk humbly with your God."

The little bit of training in Hebrew the average boy got in reading Torah was just enough to pass their Bar Mitzvah and afterward those fishermen probably saw and read little else of scriptures. It probably did not extend far enough to truly understand what they read since the language of their daily lives was primarily a variation on Aramaic. Matthew as a wealthy tax collector might have greater knowledge of Hebrew since he had the luxury of time to spend on Torah if he wanted. Basically they were not versed in prophecy literature either and when confronted by Jesus that He would fulfill prophecy they certainly were surprised.

The purpose of Christianity is not to make more nice people, it is transform people into the likeness of Jesus Christ

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1 Corinthians 1:17-31 KJV
(17) For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
(18) For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

(19) For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
(20) Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

(21) For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

(22) For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
(23) But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
(24) But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

(25) Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

(26) For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:(27) But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
(28) And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
(29) That no flesh should glory in his presence.

(30) But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
(31) That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

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The little bit of training in Hebrew the average boy got in reading Torah was just enough to pass their Bar Mitzvah and afterward those fishermen probably saw and read little else of scriptures. It probably did not extend far enough to truly understand what they read since the language of their daily lives was primarily a variation on Aramaic. Matthew as a wealthy tax collector might have greater knowledge of Hebrew since he had the luxury of time to spend on Torah if he wanted. Basically they were not versed in prophecy literature either and when confronted by Jesus that He would fulfill prophecy they certainly were surprised.

The things they wrote later show the opposite. Their style and ability to write in Greek expressing thoughts and understanding surpass the most renown theologian since. No one claimed their ability to write in Greek on a high level was God given or miraculous. They all wrote in Greek and not a low level and it was normal. Those they wrote to also read and understood Greek on a high level. So writers and readers were all reading Greek on high levels. Adults today have to go to college to be able to understand what the common reader understood then. We sell them very short if we think they are like common blue collar workers who barely read and write.

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"He has shown you, O man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you. But to do justly..and to love mercy...and to walk humbly with your God."

Isaiah 28:11 KJV
(11) For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.

Psalms 8:2 KJV
(2) Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

Matthew 21:16 KJV
(16) And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

Acts 4:13 KJV
(13) Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

I believe that God mostly choose unlearned people because it would be obvious that the wisdom they spoke did not come from themselves, but from God.

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Isaiah 28:11 KJV
(11) For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.

Psalms 8:2 KJV
(2) Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

Matthew 21:16 KJV
(16) And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

Acts 4:13 KJV
(13) Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

I believe that God mostly choose unlearned people because it would be obvious that the wisdom they spoke did not come from themselves, but from God.

Might be so but it is undeniable that Paul was an extremely highly educated man and he wrote most of the New Testament. So God might do this but in fact, he never has chosen unlearned men to write the Bible nor were his disciples such. None of the them stammered but were reported to have preached boldy. None of them were babes nor sucklings but grown men. They were untrained in theology it is true. They were not Rabbis, it is true. But they were not ignorant as knowing just fishing. They were just not educated in the priesthood as were the rabbis.

We ought to think the truth and not glorify ignorance assuming God prefers it. These men were all bilingual at least speaking and writing two languages. That is more than most of us today can do. Their level of writing Greek was on a very high level, not barely able to spell out the words. This is the truth.

Why do we have to think that God prefers those who know nothing? Is it to hide the fact that we ourselvses do not want to "study to show ourselves approved" but prefer the laziness of ignorance? The Bereans were considered noble because they studied to see if the things they were being taught were true. That is a very rare quality today. I would applaud studying instead of ignorance.

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"He has shown you, O man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you. But to do justly..and to love mercy...and to walk humbly with your God."

Why would you assume that someone unlearned is in ignorance. Lack of formal training does not make one dumb or ignorant. All true wisdom comes from God. I am not knocking education either, but not everyone can afford it. Nor does an education neccessarily make you open to the things of God. Not to mention that the universities of the world promote disbelief in God. Being a doctor, lawyer or tax collector has no merit in ones ability to do God's work. It is God who calls.

James 1:5 KJV
(5) If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

But I am guessing that the person who started this thread was thinking of the passages that state that God does not usually choose those who are already exalted by the world's standards. People tend to lift up other people. We need to lift up Jesus.

1 Corinthians 1:26-29 KJV
(26) For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
(27) But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
(28) And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
(29) That no flesh should glory in his presence.

And because we do not know everyone God has every choosen to do His work, we really have know idea if the were learned or unlearned. Either way it doesn't matter, it is not man's wisdom that saves, but the gift of God by grace through Jesus Christ.

Acts 10:34-35 KJV
(34) Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
(35) But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

I would agree with you though, that we need to study to show ourselves approved, rightly dividing the word of truth. But all I need to do this is have a love for the truth, the ability to read (or have someon read to me), the Holy Spirit to guide me into all truth and the fellowship of other believers.

John 15:8-10 KJV
(8) Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
(9) As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
(10) If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

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I agree with all that you so nicely wrote. There is a tendency among believers to down play the importance of education although modern education leaves something to be desired I admit. There is in some fields a consealing of the truth in unrighteousness.

This was not true of the education the disciples got in terms of learning to be able to express themselves in written form which is all I am saying. But they were not educated in the things they spoke on which they had learned from Christ and the Holy Spirit afterwards. It is just that God chooses men and women who can read and write to write books. Sometimes one needs regular training to have the skills needed in service of Him. I have yet to hear of Him using an illiterate to write a book. (That is the claim of the Muslims, not the Jews nor the Christians.) I would give them the credit due them, reading and writing Greek on a very high level.

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"He has shown you, O man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you. But to do justly..and to love mercy...and to walk humbly with your God."

Where do you get the idea that these men were uneducated? They were not highly educated, it is true, except for Paul who was, in fact, very highly educated. But all of them could read and write and knew the OT and probably other writings. Paul knew a great deal about other literature, philosophy and so on. Jews placed a high degree of importance on education and each young man was educated to read their holy books and write for themselves, quite unusual in that day. So I am afraid it is not true that they were uneducated, not just as highly educated as others with the exception of Paul whose teachings far surpass the best theologian since then.

God thinks we ought to be educated so that we can think and not just believe everything anyone happens to try to teach us.

Hi! Dotti

From here; "Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus." (Acts 4:13).

I only use the NASV Bible. Which one do you get your information from because I can't find anything like it in mine?